Featured Articles

  • Jun
    13
    Interpretive Summary: Effects of flavoring additives on feed intake, growth performance, temperament, and markers of immune function for newly received feedlot cattle


    Feedlot-receiving calves are typically exposed to a series of stressful events, such as weaning, transportation, commingling, a change of environment, and illness, that have a negative impact on feed intake. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of feed flavors on feed intake, indicators of stress, and markers of the immune response for newly received feedlot cattle.

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  • Jun
    13
    Interpretive Summary: Effects of dietary fiber and biotic supplementation on apparent total tract macronutrient digestibility and the fecal characteristics, metabolites, and microbiota of healthy adult dogs


    Functional fibers and biotics have demonstrated the potential to modulate the gut microbiome and improve gastrointestinal health in dogs, but are often tested individually. Research investigating unique fiber/biotic combinations is needed.

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  • Jun
    13
    Interpretive Summary: Genomic regions and biological pathways associated with sex-limited reproductive traits in bovine species


    Many livestock species show sexual differences between males and females. However, we still do not fully understand the specific area of the genome responsible for these differences. This study used a novel method to investigate this research question in two distinct tropically adapted cattle.

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  • Jun
    13
    Interpretive Summary: Bta-miR-181d and Bta-miR-196a mediated proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis in Bovine Myogenic Cells


    In this research, we explored the functions of two specific microRNAs, bta-miR-181d and bta-miR-196a, in the muscle cells of Qinchuan cattle. These tiny molecules are known to play crucial roles in various cellular processes.

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  • Jun
    13
    Interpretive Summary: Effects of dietary water-soluble extract of rosemary supplementation on growth performance and intestinal health of broilers infected with Eimeria tenella


    Avian coccidiosis, a prevalent parasitic disease caused by Eimeria protozoa, leads to significant economic losses in the global poultry industry. Currently, the control of coccidiosis in chickens primarily relies on chemical and ionophore anticoccidials.

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  • Jun
    13
    Interpretive Summary: Pleomorphic adenoma gene1 in reproduction and implication for embryonic survival in cattle: a review


    The pleomorphic adenoma gene1 (PLAG1) produces PLAG1 protein which, by binding to specific regions on DNA, influences the activity of other genes that regulate many body functions. One gene is insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) which controls cell metabolism and growth.

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  • Jun
    06
    Interpretive Summary: A matter of age? How age affects the adaptation of lactating dairy cows to virtual fencing


    For dairy farmers, pasture management is a difficult task, including feeding the herd on demand, improving pasture use efficiency, and dealing with high labor costs. Virtual Fencing (VF) is an innovative technology that can help farmers to solve these issues.

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  • Jun
    06
    Interpretive Summary: Effects of supplemental citrulline on thermal and intestinal morphology parameters during heat stress and feed restriction in growing pigs


    Heat stress (HS) negatively affects animal health and production efficiency and is a significant economic burden to global animal agriculture. Although the mechanisms responsible for reduced animal productivity during HS are complex and multifaceted, increasing evidence points to decreased intestinal barrier function as an important mediator of this response.

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  • Jun
    06
    Interpretive Summary: Heat stress alters hematological parameters in barrows and gilts


    Heat stress (HS) negatively impacts efficient pork production; however, the role of biological sex is largely unknown. The objective of this study was to determine the extent to which HS differentially impacted hematological parameters in barrows and gilts. To address this, 3-mo-old barrows and gilts were exposed to ambient temperature or constant HS for 1 or 7 d.

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  • Jun
    06
    Interpretive Summary: Effect of sex and milk replacer with or without supplemental carnitine and arginine on growth characteristics, carcass, and meat quality of artificially reared low-birth weight pigs


    Breeding efforts to increase litter size in modern sows have inadvertently reduced the average birth weight of piglets, resulting in a higher number of piglets born with low-birth weight. These piglets are indeed vulnerable from birth and display relatively poor growth potential from a very early stage.

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  • Jun
    06
    Interpretive Summary: Effects of porcine somatotropin administration on the responses to dietary lysine and a near-ideal blend of amino acids on the amino acid composition of whole-body protein and amino acid accretion rate in growing pigs


    This study evaluated the effects of two factors, porcine somatotropin and graded levels of amino acids, on the total accumulation and the accretion rate of amino acids across a broad range of protein deposition rates in growing pigs. Treatments included 1) with or without a daily injection of porcine somatotropin and 2) graded levels of total dietary lysine from 0.75% to 1.50%.

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  • May
    23
    Interpretive Summary: Nano vitamin E improved the antioxidant capacity of broiler chickens


    With the rapid development of intensive farming, factors such as high temperature, harmful gases, high-fat and high-protein diets, and changes in feeding methods have become causes of oxidative stress in animals. Studies have shown that oxidative stress decreases livestock feed intake and slows growth in animals, thereby affecting the quality of livestock products.

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  • May
    23
    Interpretive Summary: Effect of different feeding strategies and dietary fiber levels on energy and protein retention in gestating sows


    Feeding sows sugar beet pulp (SBP) has many known benefits, for example, increased satiety and high fermentability. This study investigates the ability of the sow to utilize energy for fat retention when replacing part of starch with dietary fiber.

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  • May
    23
    Interpretive Summary: Methane output across life stages in sheep, how it differs from lambs to adult ewes using portable accumulation chambers


    Obtaining accurate estimates of methane (CH4) output across life stages is important to assess how CH4 output changes throughout the production cycle in pasture-based sheep production systems. This study investigated the factors associated with CH4 output at each life stage (lambs, hoggets, pregnant, lactating, and dry ewes), the relationship between CH4 output measured across life stages and the relationship between CH4 output and dry matter intake (DMI) in an Irish lowland sheep production system.

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  • May
    23
    Interpretive Summary: Genomic estimated breeding values for bovine respiratory disease resistance in Angus feedlot cattle


    Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is the major cause of losses in feedlot cattle worldwide. Previous studies have demonstrated that there is a genetic component to resistance to BRD, suggesting that this trait could be improved by selection.

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  • May
    23
    Interpretive Summary: Differential analysis of immunoglobulin gene expression pattern in chickens of distinct breeds and developmental periods


    Immunoglobulins play a key role in the organism’s defense against pathogens, and their diverse expression allows the body to generate a wide array of antibodies. This diversity serves as a critical safeguard for the immune system against various pathogens.

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  • May
    21
    Teresa Davis, Ph.D. - Why I Give


    What a great day to join my colleagues and give back!

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  • May
    16
    Interpretive Summary: Bioactive metabolites of Asparagopsis stabilized in canola oil completely suppress methane emissions in beef cattle fed a feedlot diet


    Red seaweed, Asparagopsis taxiformis (Asparagopsis), has been shown to be highly effective at inhibiting the production of methane (CH4) in ruminants. An alternative to feeding whole, freeze-dried Asparagopsis is steeping the biomass in vegetable oil to stabilize the bioactive compounds (Asp-Oil) and feeding Asp-Oil to ruminants as a component of their dietary intake.

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  • May
    16
    Interpretive Summary: How do grazing beef and dairy cattle respond to virtual fences? A review


    Virtual fencing is a GPS-enabled fencing technology with the potential for improved livestock and pasture management, as well as socioeconomic and environmental benefits. However, the missing visual cue of a physical fence and the use of electric signals to ensure animals stay within the invisible boundary raise ethical and animal welfare concerns regarding the animal’s ability to understand and learn the technology and the stress and anxiety associated with these processes.

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  • May
    16
    Interpretive Summary: Maternal pre- and postpartum supplementation of a Bacillus-based DFM enhanced cow and calf performance


    Direct-fed microbials (DFM), such as Bacillus spp., have been shown to produce a wide variety of enzymes related to nutrient digestion and to support gastrointestinal tract immune function and integrity, leading to increased nutrient digestibility and cattle performance.

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